“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” – John Dewey
We now understand that in our children’s future, they’re likely to have at least five different careers – most of which don’t exist yet. They’ll have to cope with problems we can’t imagine, using tools that haven’t yet been created. They will be living and engaging in a world that is vastly different from that in which we grew up. How do you educate a child for that?
We must change our education systems to make sure that the next generation have the necessary 21st century skills to thrive in a future they’re going to invent and create.
The fundamental belief held by 21 Foundation is that learning is the single most important determinant of humankind’s future. However global education is in crisis: underdeveloped countries are suffering from an increasing lack of accessibility to education whilst developed nations have seen little change in teaching methods in over a century. Costs are spiraling, whilst the quality of the schooling being provided is falling. Teaching practices have not kept up with the times; any changes introduced have been, at best, incremental and fragmented.
There are many published theories on the causes of this failure. It is our firm belief that the root of the problem lies in an entrenched, rigid system that is resistant to re-engineering by the educators and management teams at its core. Those who do call for a radical overhaul in light of learning research, technological advances and shifting needs in the world around us, lack the support they need to bring about effective change. For over a century school curricular have been viewed through the same lenses: prescribed content and skills to be acquired at prescribed stages, with more emphasis on “passing” to the next stage than on acquiring knowledge and abilities that have value beyond the classroom.
Educators, futurists and corporate leaders alike agree that current curriculum models are reflective of an outdated learning methodology. There is a recognized “knowledge practice gap” in the field of education. We know more than we “do”; and we do things we know do not really work. Infrastructures are outdated and a poor match for the new understanding of what it means to be “educated”, a new approach is needed.
21 Foundation was created to take up the challenge of facilitating a global change in Learning and address the global Learning Crisis.
21 Foundation core initiatives are to:
1. Raise global awareness of the urgent need for change
The first objective of 21 Foundation is to create a global movement focused on the critical need for change in education practices. This will be achieved by the distribution of the 21:21 documentary film, book, speaking engagements as well as other media. These mediums will share the seriousness of the need to change and Learning Models that provide solutions to move learning into the 21st Century. The objective is to ignite a global fire for change in education and create an international movement. This movement will necessitate parents, teachers and administrators to come together in order to make this change a reality.
2. Become the global online resource for sharing 21st century learning
The 21 Foundation portal (currently in development) is a site for gathering the most effective online resources throughout the world that emulate 21st Century Learning. This site will encourage collaboration and exchanges between educators, administrators and parents and will act as a global focal point to share websites the community believes are exemplar.
If you are interested in being a part of the project to create this directory, please contact us here.
3. Develop a 21st century integrated learning model
21 Foundation will develop a 21st Century Learning Model over a three-year period. This will be achieved through partnerships and a team of leading educational specialist in 21st Century Learning practices. This project will include a learning philosophy, K-12 Learning Model, assessment tools, professional development and parent education. This will be available FREE to underdeveloped nations. This model will be a catalyst to shift learning enabling children to positively embrace the challenges that they will encounter and flourish in the 21st century.
4. Properly resource schools in underdeveloped communities
21 Foundation will focus on properly resourcing underdeveloped school communities with learning resources to implement the 21st Century Learning Model. 21 Foundation will collaboratively develop pre-packaged kits for an average of 200 students for $30,000. The kits will vary depending on the size of school and be region specific. The objective is to bring both a program and resources together to support these communities and allow funding agencies and individuals to undertake and support these students in need.